Trackball vs. Spinner

[Felsir]

Hi,

I'm currently in the planning phase of my arcade cabinet. I have already bought the parts I want to use (just waiting impatiently for those to arrive).
I have not yet bought a spinner control or trackball.

I would like to hear your opinion:
Is a trackball okay as input device for games like Arkanoid? I'm wondering if I could use the trackball also as input for spinner games, saving some space on the CP.

[Sephroth57]

well anything short of a spinner in arkanoid just wouldnt feel right. its pretty much how much of a perfectionist are you? if you can deal with not so precise in some games but the great trackball feel in games made for it then yeah. but i think if youre going as far as to add a trackball id add a spinner too. I dont want to clutter my fighting cab so ill probably just make a separate CP (maybe switchable) for classics, which are the majority of games that use spinners/balls

[Stingray]

While there aren't many games that use trackballs & spinners (compared to the number that use joysticks) the ones that do require them don't "seem" right to me with any other type of input. My cab will eventually get a second swapable panel with a spinner & trackball.

Of course this is only my opinion. As they say, your mileage may vary. Try a few spinner games with a trackball and decide if it's good enough or not.

-S

[Felsir]

Thanks for the input! I guess swapable control panels doesn't sound too bad... I noticed that many people swap CPs around and now I can see why  
My first version will be a straightforward 2-player-6-button-each affair. I'll probably make a trackball + spinner panel later. Currently the only trackball/spinner games that really interrest me are Marble Madness and Arkanoid (I noticed that Space Harrier is also playable with a trackball, might look into that one too)...

On with the planning for the CP then! Tonight I'll start the cab by measuring things twice and cutting those things once as in the advise I found on the message board here  

[Stingray]

My first version will be a straightforward 2-player-6-button-each affair. I'll probably make a trackball + spinner panel later.

This is exactly what I have going on right now. The joystick panel is finished. After I get the cab up and running (hopefully in about a week) I'll get started on the other panels. First will be a trackball/spinner panel - possibly with a Tron stick as well. Next will be a Steering wheel/ shifter panel. Somewhere I'd like to squeeze in an angled four way (for Q-Bert), but that will only be added if space allows.

-S

[NoOne=NBA=]

Stingray,

I'd just use an 8-way for Q-Bert.
If you get one like the Happs Competition, etc... that REALLY hits the diagonals hard, I think it's actually a better option.
The unrestricted 8-way feels like a rotated 4-way w/restrictor.

You can program the 8-way for "this game only" to use:
Joystick Direction=Game Direction
Up-Left=Left
Up-Right=Up
Down-Right=Right
Down-Left=Down

To do this, just go to the "Inputs for this game only" screen, hit enter on each of the directions, and then push the stick to the appropriate corner.
Done correctly, you should see (Left               UpLeft) for the input for that direction.
Go back to the game, and you should have a GREAT Q-Bert Stick.

[Stingray]

Thanks for the tip, I'll give that a try.

-S

[Wade]

I have a trackball and a spinner, and I never installed the spinner because I installed the trackball first.  After that, I never felt the need for a spinner.

Using a joystick in place of a trackball or spinner messes up gameplay a lot, because it totally removes speed/acceleration from the input.  When you use a trackball for input instead of a spinner, nothing is lost, input-wise.  The only thing that might be lost is the "feel".

I play Tron, Tempest, and other spinner games with the trackball and it hasn't even crossed my mind to install the spinner.

Just my opinion, which obviously isn't a popular one in this thread.

Wade

[Felsir]

I have a trackball and a spinner, and I never installed the spinner because I installed the trackball first.  After that, I never felt the need for a spinner.

Using a joystick in place of a trackball or spinner messes up gameplay a lot, because it totally removes speed/acceleration from the input.  When you use a trackball for input instead of a spinner, nothing is lost, input-wise.  The only thing that might be lost is the "feel".

I play Tron, Tempest, and other spinner games with the trackball and it hasn't even crossed my mind to install the spinner.

Just my opinion, which obviously isn't a popular one in this thread.

I have just received my trackball and I played some games with it. I have to agrre with you Wade, I decided not to add a spinner in my CP. Games like Arkanoid played perfectly IMHO with the trackball.

[str1der]

I have both and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't want to play Tempest or Mike Stewart Off-road without one. It's like having a small steering wheel.

[PaulG]

MS Off-Road and Super/Championship Sprint were major surprises for me.  APB is another.  I never realized how much I'd appreciate the spinner for racing games.  Even Pole Position is fun again.  Now if you don't like racing games, that's another story.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Is anyone else seeing the pattern I am seeing here?

1) People who put their trackball in first, but never installed their spinners, think the trackball is "good enough" for spinner games.

2) People who have BOTH, wouldn't even THINK about using the trackball for spinner games anymore.

I'm in the second category.
I played the spinner games with a mouse first, then a trackball.
Once I got a REAL spinner, I never looked back.